I would love it if they included an album version of Tell All, but I don't think I'd like it to end on Pray, I'd prefer something upbeat.

^Me too! It's possible it could be a bonus track, like RED LINE ~For TA~

My only worry for this album is lyrical content (Lelio has only two lines), but I obviously don't have the album in my hands, so judgment has to be reserved. ;)

If we could summarize it up, what genres does she sing anw? I swear most of her songs have all kinds of genres rock pop classical techno etc.

And I agree even if it's a trend or whatever, I can still feel that unique ayumi hamasaki touch in the songs.

But electronic music isn`t new to her.
She has done it already pretty early in her career.

Oh wow the genre discussion thing is in here too.

Well, I think electronic music of the early 2000s and today's EDM are quite different. The only song that is similar is maybe Terminal. And the electronic music on NEXT LEVEL isn't even the same.

I can't keep up with this thread. lol I post something, i come back in an hour and my post is 3 pages back.

I wonder if they'll change any of the songs like tell all or pray to fit the album better. It's gonna be difficult to flow knowing there aren't any interludes.

Pray seemed a little different in the preview. I miss the days of "single version" and "album version"

I worried about the promotion of this album...even though the album is solid, but without promotion it won't work

no tie-in or endorsement to promote the album...

Loving the music. If Avex markets this correctly they have a huge hit in their hands. As for it being groundreaking, not at all, but it is something that sells and sells well.

Physical sales are probably not going to be huge, but I see people listening to this is clubs and lots of DJ remixing the songs. She's hitting a younger demographic for the first time in about 5 years.

What? Hello new me has a good drama tie-in.

^ Doesn't Pray have the Buddha 2 movie tie-in too?

Maybe promo means for many people tv performances, magazines and radio interviews

Hello New Me sounds like a good concert ender!!

Yup...but the movie showed long time ago, and the dorama will end very soon, i don't think it's strong enough to promote the album, i mean in the time when the album release...

also Hello new me not presenting this album that much, the style is sooo different from the concept of the whole album

BUDDHA? that senior citizen's drama? how many young people watch those?

if Ayu is needed to be RELEVANT again, to be the face of the youth in Japan - she needs more songs like Lelio and XOXO and everything else on the previews. that's kinda what Namie Amuro is doing. I just love how Ayu inserts her own style into the music that's appearing everywhere since 2010..

we want every club in Shibuya to dancing to Lelio, to be twerking to XOXO, to smoke weed listening to Angel.. I have a feeling this album will do very well and will capitulate her to relevance again

you know i haven't gotten HYPED for an ayu album in a long time. this way i wasn't ever dissapointed. i think the last time i got REALLY hyped for an ayu album was Love Songs but this albums sounds ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS to me. and i can't help but getting excited!

I'm wondering about the promotion for the album as well, if they are releasing the songs this early they should put up a good promotion or people might forget them even before the album is out...

Well, she is doing a tour right before the album release were people wil receive CDs with the new songs, so that's a good promotion, but I still wanted to see her at least once on TV...

I think she's promoting the wrong songs. This album is mostly dance club songs. The people who do end up buying the album because of the tie ins with pray and hello new me, and tell all are going to be either super confused because they're buying an album based on the typical ayu songs they're used to and end up with something that sounds like "Cyber Trance Presents", or they're going to feel like she used "bait and switch" to get you interested in something and then handing you something entirely different.

Personally I'm really excited for this album. I have heard all of the previews, but if I was basing on buying this album soley on songs that have tie ins, I'd be disappointed. I know a lot of people like to try and not hear any parts of new songs before they buy an album, but this time around I wouldn't suggest doing it. The songs are all really good, but everyone should know what they're spending their money on.

I think they are also promoting with the "exclusive luxurious producers from overseas!" angle, so hopefully people know what they're getting into if they're remotely interested in the album.